Excavator



Nov. 7, 1933.

N. c. NICKERSON 1,933,924

EXCAVATOR Filed May 14, 1932 Patented Nov. 7, 1933 'EXCAV'ATOR Fhleal .O. Nickersenyfiarlton, Minn. Application May '14, 1932. Serial'NoJ6r1Q318 5 Glaims. (01. 214-105) .This invention relates-toeKcav-ators and has specialreference to whatdscornmonly Known as a drag line excavator including the triplicate functioning of excavating, conveying and load ing.

'The machine oi sirnple andcompactdesign, andone capable of mostreadyadjustment and transportation to easily accommodate vitself :to many different classes of work. 7

Another object is to produce such a machine having a simple arrangement; of winding and unwinding winch .mechanism.

Still other objects and advantagesof the invention will appear in the following descrip tion thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawf crming partof this. application, .and wher inlilre references indicate likeparts:

Figure 1 isa top plan view of one of .the improved excavating units asit might appear in operation; 1

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure .Lshowing .the machine operated in connection with a common slipscraper; and

igure 3 is .an enlarged elevation of a fragment-a1 portion of the for-wardend of the excavator. a

'I am aware that somewhat similar devices are old in the art and that inclined trams or ramps have been usedin combination with drag line mechanisms, but the .unitashere illustrated has proven exceptionally practical, and is believed to contemplate many advantages over the art, as at present employed.

1 represents a common wagon chassis, the forward wheels-of which are pivotally mounted so as to be readily turned immanipulating the unit exactly as a common four wheeled wagon is operated, and a removable tongue 2 is attached to the forward axle or wheels as the case may be for such purpose.

Upon the chassis l is fixed a triangularly shaped superstructure indicated'at 2, the uppermost inclined members :3 of such superstructure extending above and beyond thefront end of the superstructure, and the opposite .end ex tending beyond and below the rearmost portion of the superstructure. Upon thisinclined portion of the superstructure is .mounted a preferably fiat, smooth, ramp or tramway 4 having inclined sides 5 upon the straight portion thereof and inclined sides 6 upon theflared bottom portion '7 thereof, the'side members 5 extending upwardly to'within a shortdistance of the forward terminus of the frame like members 3, and the space within the forwardend of the frame like members being-open as -at8, forming a discharge hopper at the uppermost extremity 9 of the tramway.

rincipal object is it) produce such At-theextreme end of :the tram there .is pr'ovardly extending inclined chute do oraguiding or directing the material from the scraper into aavagon, or other form of vehicle provided for the deception of 455 suchandznotsshown in-the drawing. V

Transverse the upperend of the frame members 3 is mounted a winchishaft 1.1 operated at one end from theishaft 12 of lthemotor .13 .as'by the belt 14 and-suitablepulleys therefore, .7.0

or -if preferred a sprocket chain .and sprocket wheels. 7 1 g I A drum 15 isloosely mounted-upon the shaft 11, centrally of the upper .end .of the iirame -3,; and a like drum, thoughpreferablyofsomewhat shorter length indicated at 16 is mounted upon the end of the-shaft whicnprotrudesbeyond theframe 3, andvupon the opposite.-.side to that of the driving -mechanism. These drums operate simultaneously, preferably in ppposite B0 directicns the one -15 for pulling the dragline orcable 17 and scraper-or scoop of whatever type-it may be, such, for example, as illustrated either at 13 or .19, towards the unit, while the drum l6 is for pulling the cable or line s5 17' in the opposite direction whenfthe scraper is being returned for a subsequentdoad.

drum is provided with asuitable-clutch mechanism, the-one for thedrum 115 .indicated at 20, :and that for the drum 16 zit-I21, these clutches :being illustrated as of the common jaw clutch type and operated by the .ll'evers T22 and 23 respectively. Thelevers .are-each',.pi'votally mounted as at .24 and operated J by the reciprocable shifting rod,.25;supported forward l-y of .andupon the front end of ,the 'frame 3 of the superstructure. The .rod 25 is alsoattached to and-operates the brake levers l26..and 2'7 forthe drums 15 and 16 respectively, and these brake levers together with the clutch leversareso mounted than when t'he rod '25 'is ,thrownin one direction one of the drums will wind up by the action of .the shaft, while the other .is released therefrom i-and fr'ee to unwind simultaneously with the .latters brake'beingiap plied to prevent undue racing action thereof. The "rod 25 is connected as at 28 to one end of the bell-crank lever 29 which .is -pi-votedas at 30 to the chassis frame, and whichf bell-crank lever is operated inanydesiredmanner aasby 119 the :rod 31 extending to any convenient position, preferably .in "easy reaohof the platform 32 and there connect withiany suitableoperating lever 33. r

v H 1 :By this means'the entire operation of {the a .zdevice, except themanipulation of the scraper, is under the complete TCOIltlOl of :a single op erator, and it .Jis obvious that ;the :-arrangement of 'hoistingd1'.ums may -:be somewhat modified without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Attention is directed to the fact that in Figure 1 of the drawing what is known as a drag type of scraper is shown at 18, and where this type is used upon the device, it is essential that both drums 15 and 16 be employed for the manipulation thereof without the necessity of manual attention at the scraper. Whereas when a slip scraper as shown at 19, Figure2, is used, only one drum may be essential for the pulling of same as the slip scraperv may be returned to active position manually. In this latter case, and in the event of a machine of this type being built exclusively for such a scraper, the same may be materially cheapened in construction and only one drum employed, so that it is to be understood my invention contemplates theuse of either one or two drums.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. An excavator of the type described comprising a chassis, a superstructure upon the chassis, a ramp upon the superstructure terminating inwardly thereof at the uppermost end, a power shaft transverse the projecting upper end of the superstructure, winding drums loosely mounted upon the shaft, means for al ternately rotatively engagingthe drums with the shaft, and a power unit carried by the chassis for operating the shaft.

2. An excavator of the type described comprising a chassis, a triangularly shaped superstructure fixed upon the chassis, a ramp upon thesuperstructure, a power shaft transverse the upon the shaft, a clutch for each drum mounted on the shaft, a pair of levers for each drum fulcrumed upon the frame, one lever of each pair of levers to operate a clutch, the other lever of each pair of levers carrying a brake to engage ,a'drum, and a shifting rod connected to all the levers for operating the levers simultaneously, all so arranged that when one drum is clutched to the shaft a. brake engages the other drum to prevent racing.

4. An excavator unit for a self-contained excavating and loading machine comprising a wheeled chassis having a superstructure frame fixed thereon with one member thereof upstanding at the front of the chassis, and another member inclined and supported at one end by said upstanding front member and extending above and beyond the front member, the opposite end of said inclined member extending beyond and below the rear portion of the chassis, a ramp carried by said inclined member and having a flared lower end and outwardly inclined upstanding guiding sides, said sides terminating at their upper ends short of the forward end of the front endof the inclined frame member forming a discharge hopper for the ramp, a chute leading from the hopper, a winch shaft mounted transversely of the upper end of the inclined frame member, a drum loosely mounted on said shaft between the side members of the ramp frame, another loosely mounted drum on said shaft outside said frame, said drums being operable simultaneously in opposite directions, scraper carrying cables connected with said drums, one to be connected with the front and the other with the rear of a scraper, a clutch and brake for each of said drums, a reciprocable actuating rod mounted on said frame and connected with said brakes and clutchesso that when the rod is moved in one direction one cable will be wound on the inside drum to move the scraper up the ramp towards the chute, the other cable being unwound from the outside drum and the brake simultaneously applied to the outside drum to prevent its racing, the cable to be wound on the outside drum to move the scraper away from the chute to loading position, a central control station-on the chassis, and one-man actuating means for the winchshaft operable from the central station whereby the drums may be alternately operated to advance and retract the scraper.

5. In a self-contained excavating and loading machine, the combination of a wheeled chassis having an upstanding support at its forward end, an inclined ramp frame supported by the upper end of the support and the rear end of the chassis and extending beyond the ramp at its upper end and into proximity with the ground at its lower end, a cross shaft carried near the upper end of the frame and extending beyond both sides of the frame, drums loosely mounted on the shaft, one between the side members of the frame and the other outside of the frame, a clutch on the shaft for each drum, a brake for each drum, a driven pulley fixed to the shaft, clutch and brake operating levers mounted on the upper end of the frame, one of each kind of lever for each drum, an actuating rod so connected to all of the levers that when the clutch for one drum is engaged the brake for the other drum is actuated, a bell-crank mounted on the frame having one arm connected to the lever actuating rod, a central control station on the chassis, a shifting bar connected to the other arm of the bell-crank and extending to the control station, a power unit at the control station having a driving shaft, a loose driving pulley and clutch on said shaft, and means for engaging the clutch and the pulley to connect the driving pulley with the shaft, a power transmitting element connecting the driving'pulley with the driven pulley on the cross shaft, a ramp on the frame having a flared lower end and upstanding outwardly inclined guiding sides, a chute at the upper end of the ramp to receive and direct material, a cable attached to each drum, one cable to be connected to the hauling bail of a loading scoop, the other cable drum will be prevented from racing by its brake whereby the machine may be governed by one person located at the central control station.

NEAL C. NICKERSON. 

